Running away to a friends house

[Guest]

Hello there, i am john and i am from south esst asia.

My friend and i were very close since the start of senior high school up until now. I witnessed how stressed he is on some academic and personal problems, and now he also facing some family problems and i am not able to convince him to talk to his family about that. So now, he wants to kind a run away from thier home. He wants to leave his family because of that problems that he can not take anymore. I understand his side and arguments considering that his dad died long time ago. He wants to leave thier home and kinda run away. He has no other relatives and and he don't have any place to go to. So, he wants to stay on our house and i wanted to for his shelter because that what friends are for -caring each other. But i dont want to get involve in the trouble. What should i do?

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you and your friend are in a difficult situation, and we understand it takes courage to reach out for help. The National Runaway Safeline is located in the United States of America (USA). Our knowledge of helpful community-based resources and our understanding of youth in crisis-related laws is limited to the USA. If you are located in a country outside of the USA, you can use this link to find a youth helpline in or around your country: https://www.childhelplineinternation...pline-network/.
We hope that by reaching out to a local resource, you are able to get the support you need from an organization that understands the laws and circumstances that affect youth in your country.

Best of luck,
NRS

[Guest]

I want to help a friend who might soon become a runaway but how would that effect us law wise. What could happen to us if we helped a friend who’s 16 from the law? How can we prevent them?

[ccsmod9]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It seems there is a lot that you are faced with right now and you’re feeling like leaving is one of your only options. It seems you want to know some information on runaway laws.
While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent permission. If you are under 18 and leave home, your parent/guardian may file you as a runaway and you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions.
We are here as support to help through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email to assist you. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

yes my son ran away to a girls house I live in md, and I know the address where he is, who has to get him do I have too or the police and will the police bring him back home or how does this work please help he is in another state

[ccsmod6]

Hello and thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. What you are going through sounds intensely stressful and we will do whatever we can to help you out. While we are not legal experts, we do have a great deal of experience working with runaways.

If your son is a minor, it might be a good idea for you to start by filing a runaway report with your local police. Running away is not illegal and is usually considered a status offense by the youth, much like smoking a cigarette underage. While it may exist on their record, it should have no impact on employment or education and would be sealed when the youth turns 18. Typically, if there is a runaway report out on a youth and the parent includes where the youth is in the report, the police will make a visit to that location and return the youth home. You mentioned that he has run away to another state, so in that case police between the two areas may have to coordinate to retrieve him. Additionally, it might also be worth it to ask the police if they can provide you with a civil escort to his location so that you can retrieve him yourself with their help. As the guardian of a minor, it is your legal responsibility and right to determine where your child lives and the police should be able to help you exercise that.

If you have any further questions or would like any additional resources, please don’t hesitate to contact us on our 24/7 hotline 1-800-786-2929 or on chat at 1800runaway.org.

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

I’m 12 and I want to runaway because my mom is crazy and I don’t like her and whenever she gets mad at me she always throw stuff hard stuff at me and punches me in the back and stomach

[ccsmod2]

Hello There,
Thank you for contacting The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to listen and here to help. It seems like you are going through a really difficult time right now. You do not deserve to have things thrown at you or to be punched. From what you are describing it sounds like you are going through abuse. If you would like to file a report you can always call The Child Help Hotline at: 1800-422-4453, if you ever feel unsafe you could always call the police. Your safety is the top concern so we want you to be safe.
You also mentioned wanting to run away we are not legal experts but we do have general information on the laws. If you were to run away your legal guardian would have the right to file a runaway report. If the police did find you they most likely would bring you back home. Running away is a big decision if you would like to explore your options you can always give us a call.
We hope this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any other questions or would like to explore more options please give us a call. We are here 24/7 to listen and to provide support. We wish you the best of luck!
NRS

[Guest]

Runaway

both me and my friend are 15. She wants to runaway from home to coming and live with me. Would my parents get into any trouble with the law for kidnapping, or would my friend be forced to go back to her home? We both live in England, but I live 2 hours away from her. Her mother has no clue about me at all.

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you are in a difficult situation, and we understand it takes courage to reach out for help. The National Runaway Safeline is located in the United States of America (USA). Our knowledge of helpful community-based resources and our understanding of youth in crisis-related laws is limited to the USA. If you are located in a country outside of the USA, you can use this link to find a youth helpline in or around your country: https://www.childhelplineinternation...pline-network/.

We hope that by reaching out to a local resource, you are able to get the support you need from an organization that understands the laws and circumstances that affect youth in your country.

Best of luck,
NRS

[Guest]

I’m 17 and getting verbally and physically abused at home I have no proof of it but I can’t stand any more. my friend and her mom if offering me somewhere to stay but I don’t want to get her mom in trouble. what do i do?

[ccsmod4]

Reply: I’m 17 and getting verbally and physically abused



Hello,
Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.

You mentioned some things that raise concern for your safety and well-being. If any harm or abuse is happening at home, you have the right to report it. We are not experts on the issue, but generally once it's been reported, social services will either decide whether or not to take the case and further investigate. If they do take the case, they will send out someone from child protective services to do an investigation (interviewing people in the household) and from there they will decide the level of danger within the household. It generally ranges from no danger (the youth stays in the home, some services are given, and the case is closed), moderate danger (they will provide family services with possible temporary displacement) and high danger (they will remove the youth from the home and offer certain services).

If you feel like this is an option you want to explore, you may find this website helpful: https://www.childhelp.org/child-abuse/. We can also help you to file a report if that’s the route you are considering.

Please be safe and reach out soon by phone or chat so that we may help.

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

hi i am 12 and i do not like my family i am adopted and i want to know if it is iligal to run away to my friends i live in adrian

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for contacting us, it takes a lot of courage to reach out and share your story. It must be really hard to live in a home where you don't feel comfortable. Running away is a big decision and it can be very stressful to figure out what you want to do.

We aren’t legal experts here at NRS, but generally speaking, if you do opt to leave your home your parents can file a runaway report, which is essentially a missing person report. Running away is a status offense; this means that it isn’t illegal, but it’s something you can’t do while still a minor. If a runaway report is filed and you are located by the authorities you will most likely be returned to your parents.

If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options that you may have available to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and support you in any way we can.

Stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Is there a legal way to runaway to a friends house? I’m 12 and I don’t live in a good home I’m in Australia,and if there is laws is there any way shape or form to move out of my house at the age of 12 and move in with someone? Please help

[ccsmod1]

Thank you for reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you are in a difficult situation, and we understand it takes courage to reach out for help. The National Runaway Safeline is located in the United States of America (USA). Our knowledge of helpful community-based resources and our understanding of youth in crisis-related laws is limited to the USA. If you are located in a country outside of the USA, you can use this link to find a youth helpline in or around your country: https://www.childhelplineinternation...pline-network/.

We hope that by reaching out to a local resource, you are able to get the support you need from an organization that understands the laws and circumstances that affect youth in your country.

[Guest]

Is it illegal to run away to a friends house

[ccsmod11]

Hi there,
Thank you for reaching out. It takes great courage to reach out for help and we are glad that you decided to reach out for help.

It sounds like you have been thinking about leaving home. Leaving home can be hard and it can be helpful to think about where you might stay and how you might pay for food rent and other living expenses. Talking to other family members or friends can be helpful in many situations. We are not legal experts however if your parents are to file a police report you can be brought home and your friends and their family could get in trouble with the law.

This can be a lot to thing about and if you would like you can call us at our 24 hour confidential hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY(786-2929) and we can help listen to you, explore options and provide any resources. We wish you the best and hope to hear from you soon.

Best,
NRS

[Guest]

What if I was at my dads and I ran away to my moms would that be illegal????

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. No one should have to consider leaving their home. We are so sorry you are going through this. If you are below 18, you are still considered a minor in most states. If a minor leaves their parent or guardian's house, the parent or guardian is expected to file a missing persons report with the police. If they do not, and you in some way get harmed while gone, the parent or guardian can be charged with neglect. If you run away and are found at a friend's house, that friend can potentially be charged with harboring a minor. With all that in mind, there are absolutely times when leaving home may be the safer or better option than staying.

There are other considerations worth mentioning. First, if you need to talk out your options before or after running away, we encourage you to reach out to us on the phone. We could help you locate food pantries, shelters, or transitional living programs. We are open 24/7 and confidential. We would be happy to help you talk through your next steps.

It sounds like you probably do not feel heard or supported at home. Counseling, either for yourself or your entire family, may help you feel listened to. If you call us we may be able to refer you to affordable options in your area.

One last option is that we can act as a referree in a call with your parents. If you want, we could do a conference call between us, your parent, and yourself. We could try to set some ground rules to make sure everyone gets their chance to feel heard.

We thank you again for reaching out and wish you the best of luck.

[Guest]

I'm 14 want to run away

ok I'm 14 and hate life right now I've had bad grades had some bad friends and just want to live free of all the stress and all the bad stuff I know it sounds like I'm trying to fight fire with fire by trying to runaway to get rid of my stress but that's the only way I can see of anything in my life working my mom and dad are split my mom is into drugs and has gone to jail about 15 times for minor reasons and other things my dad moved to Seattle and is now going to England he wants me to go but I do not I have friends and family here and so I live with my aunt but my aunt is a mean judgemental person who loves to just shoot me down and pretend like I'm not even a thing she blames all my problems on my mother who I still love but hate and my aunt anytime we fight says things like your only mad cuz your mom isn't here and your dad isn't here to come pick you up so you can run away and hide from your problems shes even told me to get the f out of her house because I disagree with her about something so I packed my bags and left for 4 days and I came back and over the last month have noticed that those four days where the most fun most fun most happy days I've had in the 2 years I've lived with her and I was wondering if she could get I. Trouble for me. Running away or my dad or my mother or any of my family also would my dad get in trouble because he is my legal guardian and has control of where I go and he is a great guy and a really great dad but I'm done with this messy life with my aunt and i just want to leave and go as far as i can from her

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for contacting us, it takes a lot of courage to reach out and share your story. It must be really hard to live in a home with so much tension. Running away is a big decision and it can be very stressful to figure out what you want to do.

We aren’t legal experts here at NRS, but generally speaking, if you do opt to leave your home your aunt or father can file a runaway report, which is essentially a missing person report. Running away is a status offense; this means that it isn’t illegal, but it’s something you can’t do while still a minor. If a runaway report is filed and you are located by the authorities you will most likely be returned to your aunt. If a runaway report is not filed and something happens to you while away your father or your aunt could be considered negligent caregivers.

It’s important to consider all the possibilities that can occur if you leave home. You will need to plan out how you will cover basic necessities like travel, food, clothing, etc. If you have a place to go in mind, it’s good to see what the expectations of the living arrangement will be like; rules, the amount of time you’re allowed to stay, if you’re expected to contribute financially, etc. This can all influence your decision to leave.

If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options that you may have available to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and support you in any way we can.

Stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

What if i run away to my friends house but leave a note saying i cant stay there in that house because of bad Things going on in my life what do i do

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for contacting us, it takes a lot of courage to reach out and share your story. It sounds like you're having a hard time right now, running away is a big decision and it can be very stressful to figure out what you want to do. We aren’t legal experts here at NRS, but generally speaking, if you do opt to leave your home your parents (or guardians) can file a runaway report, which is essentially a missing person report. Running away is a status offense; this means that it isn’t illegal, but it’s something you can’t do while still a minor. If a runaway report is filed and you are located by the authorities you will most likely be returned to your parents/guardians.

If you’d like to go over the bad things going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options that you may have available to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and support you in any way we can.

Stay safe,
NRS

[Guest]

So my brother stays at a friends house at long periods at a time 4-7 days and my dad threatens to call the police to come get him, but from what my brother says he cant be forces home unless hes in danger ect is he correct??

[ccsmod8]

Hello there –

Thank you for reaching out to us here on our public forum. Hopefully by helping you through your crisis, there are others in similar situations that can find it helpful as well. It can be hard not to know what do to in this situation. Sounds like there are some issues at home if your brother keeps leaving home without your father’s permission and stays away for long periods of time. From what we know, the parent or legal guardian has the right file a runaway report when a child in their care has leave without permission. This might mean calling out to the police and getting them involved. Now every law enforcement is going to be different on what they can or cannot do, so they might be able to go over to the house that your brother is staying at and take him home from there. If your brother is concerned or wants to get a straight answer, he might have to reach out to the local non-emergency police by calling and asking some questions about leaving home and coming back.

Hope that this was helpful. Please feel free to reach out us again via phone or online chat if you have further questions.

[Guest]

My friend has a horrible life at the moment, her mother is completely neglecting her and isn’t feeding her- she wants to runaway to my house since she doesn’t even have a phone to contact 911 and she also doesn’t want to be in foster care and have to take her chances with that, she is 13..also she has tried reaching out to a family member but instead her mother found out and abused her for that and I’m the only person close enough for her to run too, but I want to know if this is a bad move and will get me and my mother in legal trouble.

[ccsmod6]

Hello and thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like your friend is in a really rough situation and it is important and good that you would advocate on her behalf. Being a supportive friend is not easy and we want you to know that we recognize that.

So, if your friend ran away, her mom would have the right to file a runaway report with the police on her. This doesn’t mean they would arrest her and it doesn’t mean they are going to take her to jail. Running away is not illegal. If your friend encounters the police while she has a runaway report out on her, they will usually notify her guardian and return her home.

If she was staying with someone who knew she was a runaway, her mom would usually be entitled to try and press charges against the person who your friend is staying with. This is called “harboring a runaway”. While we are not legal experts, it is our understanding that this is usually considered a misdemeanor offense.

If the risks of running away are too much, it may be a good idea for you to consider reporting what is going on at home. If you have any evidence of the way your mom has been treating your friend, that would be important to such a report. Usually, separation of a family is the last resort for Child Protective Services. Additionally, there is a possibility that the youth would live with someone they already knew rather than foster care. If you want to understand the process of abuse reporting or what could come of it, please reach out to the National Child Abuse Hotline. Reaching out to them does not mean you have to make a report. You can just ask them questions if you want.

If you have any other questions for us or if you would like to talk about what other options there might be for your friend, please don’t hesitate to call us on our 24/7 hotline 1-800-786-2929 or chat us at 1800runaway.org.